Bulgarian-American baritone Thomas Litchev has been praised as ‘gripping to watch and hear’ (clevelandclassical.com) for his portrayal of the Sodbuster in Missy Mazzoli’s PROVING UP with Oberlin Opera Theatre. Thomas is originally from Colorado and is currently London-based having completed postgraduate studies at the Guildhall School of Music, where he was a Leverhulme Arts Scholar. He received his bachelor’s degree from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, where he was awarded the Louise and Marguerite Bloomberg Greenwood Prize.
During his time at Oberlin, Thomas was featured in several productions with Oberlin Opera Theatre. He was seen as Don Alfonso in Mozart’s COSI FAN TUTTE, Demetrius in Britten’s A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM, and as the Second Commissioner in Poulenc’s DIALOGUES DES CARMELITES. Thomas was also a Dannenberg Honours Recital recipient. He also played the role of Ariodate in Handel’s SERSE with the Chautuaqua Institution, where he was a Sabina Mooney Seifart Memorial Scholarship recipient. He was also seen in the West-Coast premiere of Jennifer Higdon’s COLD MOUNTAIN with the Music Academy of the West in 2019.
In the 2023/24 season, Thomas debuted with London-based opera company Gothic Opera as Hudson in Robert Planquette’s RIP VAN WINKLE. He also appeared as a baritone soloist for a staged version of THE MESSIAH with Merry Opera. Previously, he was seen in CARMEN (Le Dancaïre, Morales) and DIE FLEDERMAUS (Eisenstein) with St Paul’s Opera. He also joined Opera Kipling’s new production of LA CENERENTOLA as Dandini.
During the 2024/25 season, Thomas made a company debut with the West Green House Opera, where he performed the role of Ambrogio and covered Fiorello and the Officer in Barber’s IL BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA, directed by Victoria Newlyn and led by maestro Matthew Kofi Waldren. He also debuted with Opera Steamboat for their world-premiere of WELCOME TO THE MADNESS by Leanne Kirchoff as a member of the Emerging Artist program. In September, he performed in another world-premiere of ACQUA TOFANA by Gaia Aloisi as a part of the Tête à Tête opera festival.
In addition to his operatic engagements, Thomas enjoys performing song repertoire and new works. At Oberlin, he was a soloist for the premiere of Elizabeth Ogonek’s piano concerto WHERE ARE WE NOW, a recording of which was subsequently released with Oberlin Music Label in 2021. During the autumn of 2022, he was selected to go on tour with pianist Iain Burnside for the performance-piece ‘Open your eyes’ that aimed to shine a light on the Climate Crisis in collaboration with the Irish Minister of Culture. The following spring, Thomas was a soloist for the Guildhall Studio Orchestra’s annual ‘American Songbook’ concert, performing songs written by prolific female American songwriters. For his Master’s recital at Guildhall, he curated a programme of song from the female perspective centred around Fauré’s song cycle LA CHANSON D’EVE with pianist Héloïse Bertrand. He also performed Kaija Saariaho’s piece for baritone TRUE FIRE with pianist Gavin Roberts.
This summer, Thomas will be featured as a soloist with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra for their performance of Vaughan-Williams’ SERENADE TO MUSIC. Next season, Thomas returns to Opera Steamboat for a new production of ALL IS CALM: THE CHRISTMAS TRUCE OF 1914, by Peter Rothstein.
